American legacy automaker General Motors has successfully secured the necessary approval from local officials to begin its L4 autonomous vehicle testing in Shanghai.
Notably, this major advancement marks the company’s first-ever permit to test such technologies on China’s public roads.
Road test program details
GM aims to deploy modified Cadillac Lyriq models with L4 autonomous driving software in Jinqiao. Notably, this urban district also houses the company’s headquarters and domestic technology hub.
The local officials would only give the company designated test zones for the program, which will initially last for a year. Nonetheless, it will enable GM to measure the technology’s capacity to steer through various scenarios.
Automotive News reported that the Cadillac Lyriqs would feature an AI technology co-developed by GM’s team and Momenta. It will apparently “accelerate algorithm iterations and lay the foundation for future higher-level autonomous driving tests and operations,” CnEVPost reports citing GM’s release on WeChat.
For context, GM initially invested $300 million in the Chinese autonomous driving company in September 2021. That enormous fund aided the latter to ramp up its next-gen AI technology development for GM EVs.
Going back to the planned road testing, GM China will assign a driver for each Cadillac Lyriq to guarantee the program’s safe implementation of the self-driving tech.
See Also:
- General Motors boosts electric and intelligent connected vehicle rollout in China
- General Motors announced plans to debut 15 all-electric models in China by 2025
- SAIC-GM-Wuling introduces “little cloud” EV in China at $13k
- General Motors introduces ‘GM Envolve’ to aid fleets electrify
- General Motors to halt Chevy Bolt EV/EUV production by the end of 2023
As mentioned, the first phase of the road test program will only last for one year. Nonetheless, it will give GM the necessary insights into various factors, including road settings, legal conditions, and Chinese cultural norms.
However, the automaker has yet to announce the official start of the program. It may begin soon as it already has the officials’ approval.
